About Us
Meet Elder Duke Jones—author, veteran chaplain, activist, and architect of the Reparations
NOW 2028 campaign. Learn more about his journey, his mission, and his published works.
Elder Duke Jones: A Life of Voice, Vision, and Vocation
From baritone vocalist to chaplain, from pastor to author, Elder Duke Jones has spent his life walking the line between faith and justice always with purpose.
EARLY LIFE & CALLING
From the Stage to the Sanctuary
Elder Henry Lee “Duke” Jones was once named Louisiana’s Best Baritone Vocalist and offered a full scholarship to a top New York music academy. But rather than pursue fame, he followed the calling of his forefathers both ministers and stepped boldly into a life of service. His journey is one of spiritual obedience, personal sacrifice, and moral clarity. Rooted in both Southern tradition and progressive conviction, Duke chose not performance, but purpose.
Elder Henry Lee “Duke” Jones was once named Louisiana’s Best Baritone Vocalist and offered a full scholarship to a top New York music academy. But rather than pursue fame, he followed the calling of his forefathers both ministers and stepped boldly into a life of service. His journey is one of spiritual obedience, personal sacrifice, and moral clarity. Rooted in both Southern tradition and progressive conviction, Duke chose not performance, but purpose.
MILITARY SERVICE & MINISTRY
Serving with Spirit
Duke Jones joined the United States Air Force as a chaplain, providing faith-based counselling and spiritual leadership to servicemembers and families across the country. After his military service, he continued to pastor churches in two states, offering decades of ministry grounded in compassion, courage, and biblical truth.
His service was never passive it was pastoral activism, guiding communities through moments of mourning, movement, and mission.
SCHOLARSHIP & WRITING
Faith Meets Policy
Elder Jones attended several colleges and universities, including Los Angeles City College and UCLA, engaging in theological and civic studies that laid the groundwork for his writing career. His work bridges the gap between spiritual wisdom and social analysis, helping readers see justice through both a divine and democratic lens.
His publications including One Last Thing Before I Go, On the Right Side of Wrong, and Critical Race Theory in Black and White demonstrate a lifelong commitment to the spiritual and political advancement of the African American community.
THE MOVEMENT REPARATIONS NOW 2028
A Platform for Change
In 2024, Elder Jones launched the Reparations NOW 2028 campaign: a nationwide effort to ensure reparations become a core demand of the Democratic Party platform in the next presidential election.
Rooted in a belief that H.R. 40 while well-intentioned has become a political smokescreen, the campaign calls for legislative boldness, voter unity, and moral clarity. It is less a movement about politics and more a movement about promise.
AUTHOR WORKS
Books That Move the Movement
Duke Jones’s books weave together faith, lived experience,
and policy critique:
- Critical Race Theory in Black and White – A roadmap for reparations by 2028
- One Last Thing Before I Go – Reflections on life, spirit, and legacy
- On the Right Side of Wrong – A call to moral conviction in turbulent times
Final declaration
INVITE TO SPEAK
Bring Elder Duke Jones to Your Platform
Whether speaking at churches, colleges, policy forums, or national events, Elder Duke Jones brings a resonant voice rooted in faith, history, and hope.
Speaking Topics Include:
- The Spiritual Mandate for Reparations
- Pastoral Responses to Systemic Injustice
- Building Political Unity in the Black Church
- Chaplaincy, Service, and Moral Leadership
- Music, Memory & the Black Sacred Tradition